


What Remains the Same

by Hanna



Series: What Changes and What Remains the Same [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: AU, Gen, Role Reversal, jotun!thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-17 07:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hanna/pseuds/Hanna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I am Thor, Odinson and Laufeyson, of Jotunheim and Asgard. I have forged peace between ancient enemies. I am in line for the thrones of Asgard and Jotunheim. It is upon this authority that I will take the Tesseract and my brother back to Asgard where they will be appropriately dealt with.”</i>
</p>
<p> Sequel to 'What Changes' (http://archiveofourown.org/works/546468).</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Remains the Same

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for all your kind feedback, kudos and encouragement on What Changes, you have no idea how much it means to me. I love you all. This is dedicated to each and every one of you.

**What Remains the Same**

Laufey-King had taught Thor the secret paths Loki had taught them to get to Asgard for ease of travel between his two worlds. With the Bifrost gone, that knowledge became very useful, though he shared it with only Father. His regular visits to Jotunheim yielded much knowledge, and it was on one of these that Father summoned him.

Bylestir, his brother, was teaching him about patterns and what they meant. It was a complicated science, and Thor could not help but think that Loki would do better at it with a stab of grief. Bylestir brushed a large thumb over his forehead tenderly.

“To think,” he murmured, “That you are older than me.” Thor chuckled, allowing Bylestir to trace his fill.

“To think that I am,” he agreed. He gazed up at him, traced a swirling pattern upon the side of his ribs. Bylestir giggled.

“Stop that,” he said, swatting his hand away. “Stop that, brother!” And Thor pursued his advantage, crawling upon Bylestir’s body, his fingers searching out ticklish places. He fully expected it when Bylestir rolled over and pinned him to the ground, but the force still knocked the wind out of him.

That was when Huginn cawed and both looked up.

“There is no birdlife here,” Bylestir frowned. Thor smiled.

“Father,” he said to the bird, and his brother jumped in surprise. He turned to him. “This is Huginn, one of my father’s messengers,” he explained. “What news?”

The raven cawed and started to wing away.

“Wait, Huginn,” Thor called, and he looked impatiently back at him. Thor’s face fell.

“Oh,” he murmured. “I’m being summoned back to Asgard,” he sighed to Bylestir. “I’m sorry.” Bylestir grabbed him in a hug that lifted Thor off his feet.

“Then go,” he said, eyes sparkling childishly. “Come back soon, brother.” Thor grinned at him.

“Get down,” he said. “I can’t hug you properly with you towering like that.” Bylestir knelt; Thor still had to reach up to wrap his arms around his neck. He smiled against his skin.

“You’re going to be tall,” he said.

“Says the runt,” Bylestir returned, laughing. Huginn cawed impatiently. “Go,” he said. And Thor sought out the branches of the world tree and walked onto it.

XX

Thor blinked at Father in shock, hope blazing a path through his chest.

“Loki is on Midgard?” he asked, eyes wide. “I thought he was…” Father’s face was old, lined.

“We all did,” he said heavily. “But he is not. He is making trouble, Thor. He is after the Tesseract.” Thor gasped, his mouth falling open.

“What?” he breathed. “ _Why?_ ” Father just shook his head.

“You have to find him, Thor. Bring him home. Bring it back. Midgard is unprepared for this form of war. You must help them.” Thor nodded, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Yes, Father,” he said. “I’ll come back with him and the Tesseract, I swear.” Father placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Bring your brother home,” he said softly, and Thor turned back and walked onto the world tree.

XX

He searched for Loki’s energy. His own grasp on seidr was not so strong as Loki’s, but he remembered what his brother had taught them when they were children; when they were friends. His heart twisted and his shoulders slumped. What he wouldn’t give to have those days back.

He didn’t understand what Loki’s grievance was; if anyone was to have a grievance over his heritage, surely it was himself. He thought back to Loki’s coronation, what he’d told him.

_“I was jealous, Thor. I’ve always been jealous.”_

But why? What did he have to be jealous of?

His head hurt, and he was wandering off course. He put these things out of his mind and just focussed.

XX

He emerged in an aircraft. Loki sat restrained, blinking in shock to see him emerge from the world tree, and two mortals were staring at him for much the same reason.

His first impulse was to grab Loki and fly out, but he reined it in.

“Greetings,” he said, and the pilot turned sharply for a second in surprise, her face clearly showing she was unused to being surprised. He inclined his head. “I am Thor, and I am here to help.”

Loki spoke then.

“Asgard lent you out? Or do you owe your allegiance to Jotunheim now, _Jotun_?” he asked, sneering, and Thor winced.

“Brother,” he began, and Loki cut him off with a sharp laugh. One of the mortals, a man in red, white and blue, stepped forward, recovering.

“Steve Rogers,” he said, offering his hand. Thor shook it gently, aware of his strength. “Tony Stark,” he continued, gesturing to the man beside him, in a suit of red and gold armour. “Agent Romanov,” was the pilot. There was a pause.

“You’re Loki’s brother?” he asked. Thor nodded.

“Indeed, Steve Rogers,” he said. Loki laughed again, sharp and bitter. He bowed his head. “Even if he does not consider me so.”

“And why would that be?” Agent Romanov asked from the cockpit. Loki answered before him.

“He’s a monster,” he said bluntly and Thor flinched, his jaw tightening. The metal man, Tony Stark, noticed.

“That’s enough out of you,” he said to Loki, who mockingly mimed sewing his lips shut, with a vicious glance at Thor, who grimaced. He smirked.

“I am adopted,” he said quietly. “It was only recently we found out. Loki is still trying to reconcile the news.” Loki laughed again but did not comment.

“Your brother is annoying,” Stark said. Sorrow filled Thor’s face.

“He was not always like this,” he said, swallowing.

“You were just too busy with your own friends to notice,” Loki said. “Sycophants gathering to watch the warriors play, the lot of you. Did you ever use your brain, Thor?” Thor took a step forward, tension in his every line.

“All I ever wanted was to be your equal,” he said, intense, quiet. “I could not win your favour by pursuing your pursuits, Loki.” Loki sneered at him.

“Because you always were stupid,” he said. Thor continued as if he had said nothing, though the hurt on his face showed he’d heard.

“I could only try to win it by doing what I could. It was you who chased me away, Loki. Every time I tried to spend time with you you were always busy.” Stark grimaced slightly. Thunder rumbled outside.

“Alright, guys,” Rogers said, stepping between them. “This isn’t helping.” Thor fell back.

“Of course. I am sorry, Steve Rogers. I… allowed my pain to get the better of me.” Rogers smiled at him.

“It happens to all of us. Please, call me Steve.”

“Very well, Steve,” Thor said, and sat, trying not to look at Loki.

XX

Director Fury was not happy about having another alien hanging around. But at least, he reasoned, this one seemed cooperative.

“We need to know where your brother hid the Tesseract,” he said to Thor, who was pacing anxiously. “Do you know how to get to him?” Thor shook his head slowly.

“I do not,” he admitted. “He and I have been estranged many centuries. I fear he will never again see me as his little brother. But even if he did, it would not help- he never told me anything.” Thor’s lip curled up, sad, slightly bitter. “I am sorry, but I cannot help you.”

“What do you intend to do with it?” Steve asked suddenly. Fury sighed.

“Clean energy,” he said.

“The Tesseract belongs in Asgard,” Thor said firmly. Fury turned to him but he cut him off before he could start. “As does Loki.”

“He is a criminal,” he said. “He needs to face justice.” Thor looked sad.

“He will,” he said softly. “I assure you, he will.”

XX

It was Agent Romanov who sought him out first in the quarters assigned to him.

“He called you a monster,” she said by way of greeting and watched as he sagged into the bed. He nodded softly.

“Aye,” he sighed. She looked him up and down.

“You look like him,” she frowned. “Why did he call you a monster? Is it something you did?” Thor shook his head.

“No,” he said. “It is what I am.” He stepped back from her. “Do not touch me once I drop the glamour,” he warned her. She nodded and he closed his eyes. Blue spread over him and his eyes were red when he opened them. He arranged himself comfortably on his bed. Her eyes traced the patterns on his skin.

“I am of Laufey-King’s get,” he said. “He is the king of Jotunheim. I am his eldest son, but not his heir.” He smiled. “It is a long story.”

“I have time,” she said. She pulled up a chair and raised an eyebrow at the cold coming off him. “Let’s start with what you are, and what your brother is.”

XX

They didn’t have time to tell the full story. Agent Romanov, who had insisted he call her Natasha, was called away to interrogate Loki and discovered his plan to incite Dr Banner into becoming the Hulk. Thor ran at Loki to stop him escaping, because if he got away they’d never find the Tesseract, and fell for his brother’s trick yet again, finding himself stuck inside. He had to watch Loki kill Agent Coulson, a mortal he respected. As he hurtled to the ground in the Hulk’s cage, he reflected that he’d never really known his brother, never wanted to look past the ideal he’d looked up to all his life.

XX

He stared for a very long moment at Mjolnir on the ground, his hand extended, but did not call her. Anxiously he chewed his lip, thought of the big brother he’d always idolised, who had always pushed him away and mocked and hurt him. Thought of the days so long ago when he’d taught him seidr because he tried to read his books to do what he was doing and didn’t understand what he read. Thought of dragging Loki around by the hand because Mother had told him to watch Thor, had tussled and wrestled in the gardens with him when he was still willing to do such things with him.

Thought of the green eyed stranger dropping him in the cage, laughing and calling him a monster, wreaking havoc on an innocent world.

He steeled himself and summoned his hammer into his hand.

XX

He did not have enough measure of the energy of the other mortal warriors to track them on Yggdrasil’s limbs; Natasha, though, he could find. And when he followed her to a war-torn city she didn’t even blink to see him.

“Thor,” she greeted calmly. Steve spun around in surprise.

“Where did you come from?” he asked, stunned. Thor shrugged.

“I do not know; Yggdrasil led me here when I searched for you,” he said. Stark hovered overhead.

“That sounds like magic,” he said, sounding mildly disgusted. “I’ll talk to you later about it. For now, we’ve got a battle to win. Cap?” Steve suddenly came back to himself.

“Right, of course. Thor, your brother is in Stark Tower,” he said, pointing. “The portal is atop it. We can’t close it; I want you to bottleneck it. You’ve got the lightning.” Thor nodded, twirled Mjolnir in his hand, and shot into the air.

Feeling the energy coursing through him as he thrust Mjolnir into the air, clinging to a building, made him feel alive in a way he hadn’t in a long time. He grinned manically, though it fell when he realised the Chitauri were Loki’s minions, that Loki was quite possibly insane.

That Loki was attacking people who had done no wrong.

With a grim, vicious movement he sent a new bolt of lightning at the portal.

XX

It was over. Loki, his big brother, was in chains, muzzled, unable to cause problems- glaring at him with such hate he could not meet his eyes. He was almost glad to leave him in a cell and go eat with his new teammates. They ate in silence, none wanting to break it.

“So,” Tony said when they were all done. “Since Stark Tower was, you know, mashed up during the fight, I have to rebuild it. And you’re my team, so you’re each getting a floor.” His eyes sparkled with excitement and Thor was abruptly reminded of Loki; the comparison only brought him grief.

XX

“You don’t need the Tesseract to get back with him,” Fury said. Thor could see exactly where he was headed.

“It does not stay here,” he said firmly. “It belongs on Asgard. Humanity cannot handle its power. I am taking both the Tesseract and my brother to Asgard.”

“The Council wants the Tesseract to stay here,” Fury told him. Thor drew himself to his full height.

“I am Thor,” he said. “Odinson and Laufeyson, of Jotunheim and Asgard. I have forged peace between ancient enemies. I am in line for the thrones of Asgard and Jotunheim. It is upon this authority that I will take the Tesseract and my brother back to Asgard where they will be appropriately dealt with.”

Fury was smiling.

XX

Thor walked them home through Yggdrasil’s branches, keeping a tight grasp on Loki’s arm, unwilling to expose him further to the Tesseract’s energy. He walked him right into the throne room.

Loki gave him a look that very clearly stated his opinion of him and he had to steel himself against his urge as a little brother to make his life easier.

“I will not show you off in your shame,” he said firmly to him. Loki managed admirably well to say how big an idiot he was with just his eyes. He ignored the prickling of tears in his eyes and handed the Tesseract over silently before moving to the side of the throne, where Mother offered him a smile and he could not return it.

“Loki Odinson,” Father said from the throne. “You have committed crimes against Asgard, Jotunheim and Midgard.” Loki stood rigid, almost proud, before him. Thor could not take his eyes off him. “You will be tried on the next moon. Until that time, you are to be kept in the dungeon.” He gestured and two guards escorted Loki out. Then Thor was called forward.

“Thor Odinson, you have done honour to Asgard,” he said. Thor bowed. “You have protected Midgard against a foe they could not counter alone.”

“They have mighty warriors, Father,” Thor said. Father smiled.

“Be that as it may, I hereby make you protector of Midgard.” Thor looked up, his jaw dropping, and found Mother smiling at him. He had never wanted the throne of Asgard, never expected it, but to be a protector of another realm, one he was fond of…

“Thank you, Father,” he breathed. “For this honour.” Father stood, smiled.

“Rise, my son,” he said. Thor did so. “Go to bed- you’re exhausted,” he added privately. Thor left, Sif and the Warriors Three grinning at him, and fell into bed. Baldr ran in then and threw his arms around him.

“Thor!” he exclaimed. “You’re back! I saw Loki being taken to the dungeons, he’s been really naughty, hasn’t he?” Solemnly, Thor lifted Baldr into his lap and nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “He brought war to Midgard without cause.” Baldr’s eyes were wide.

“Why?” he asked. Sadly Thor shook his head.

“I don’t know, Baldr,” he whispered, tears filling his eyes, wishing he could be Loki’s little brother again, sitting at his feet conjuring fire and seeing Loki smiling down at him. When Baldr looked at him he was reminded of himself, and hoped that he was going to be a better big brother than Loki had been. “Go to sleep.” He lay him down beside him and wrapped his arms around him, feeling Baldr snuggle into his chest.

Baldr’s breathing soon evened into sleep-breath, but Thor lay awake all night.

XX

He stepped into Jotunheim’s snow fields dressed in naught but a loincloth and his Aesir skin. He shivered as he stripped it away and closed his eyes, smiling at the suddenly pleasantly cool wind, the feeling of snow between his toes. Helblindi and Bylestir were waiting for him. They ran for him as soon as they saw him, lifting him off his feet with the force of their hugs. Then he walked between them to their father’s palace as they regaled him with hunting tales, and he smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are gold :D


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